


Bithynia Dreams ----- will i bithynia again?

by saisei



Category: Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Deliberately Bad Fanfic, Fix-It, M/M, Romance, atg, find replace the pairing of your choice!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:16:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hadrian Smith wasn't looking for love when he walked into Erastes Coffee and Books -- but who was the mysterious new waiter?  Would their forbidden passion ever become real?  Or would he, like his coffee, be bitter and dark forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bithynia Dreams ----- will i bithynia again?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [will i bithynia again? [art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2315960) by [dante_gabriel_renesmee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dante_gabriel_renesmee/pseuds/dante_gabriel_renesmee). 



> Dear Recipient: When I got to the end of Hadrian's story I just cried buckets, because it was so sad! Like a tragedy of sadness. So when you asked me to create a fix-it fic, I was so excited! And the artwork was so sweet and inspirational, capturing all of Hadrian's longing and Antinoüs's youth and innocence ♥ ♥ ♥ I hope this is what you wanted!

A "fix-it" fic because canon is SO SAD.

Hadrian Jones dropped his pen to his desk and leaned forward, massaging his temples wearily. He enjoyed his new position as a professor at Caelian Hill U., but this journal article he was writing was so difficult.

"I need coffee," he said to himself, and stood up and went out of F Hall down to Main Street to the best coffee shop in the sleepy college town, Erastes Coffee and Books. To no one's surprise, the shop sold books as well as coffee.

Hadrian sat down at his usual table. He noticed that the man – _boy_ – who took his order wasn't Tonya Prius, who wasn't a boy but who did usually take his orders.

"Are you new here?" Hadrian asked.

The boy glanced up from under long dark eyelashes. He had hair, too. It swept over his head in rippling waves, and he was wearing an apron. He smiled, and Hadrian's heart skipped some beats.

"I'm staying with my uncle," the boy said. "I'm an exchange student. My name's Antinoüs Smïth. With an umlaut."

"Oh," said Hadrian. "That sounds like a Bithynian name."

The boy blushed prettily with pleasure. He looked pleased. "Yes, it is."

"So," Hadrian said. "Are you a senior?"

Antinoüs laughed a charming laugh. "I am just a freshman."

Hadrian hastily ordered his regular coffee, and a scone. He needed a scone after doing the math and realizing that lovely, nubile Antinoüs was half his age. A succulent, naïve yet enthusiastic eighteen year old, just barely legal for literary purposes. Damn.

Hadrian busied himself in the following weeks with his lectures and his journal articles, distracting himself by organizing an academic conference in his field of study. He knew all too well why he was drawn to teaching malleable young minds, but he had been promised tenure, and thus unfortunately work was more important than other... pursuits.

Still, at least once a week, usually on slow Saturday mornings before the rush, he found himself in Erastes Coffee and Books, ordering coffee and a scone. Occasionally he ordered a donut. Always Antinoüs brought him his order with his own hands, and not with the hands of another.

Hadrian made polite inquiries into the boy's studies. His family back in Bithynia wanted him to be the first to get a good college education. When Hadrian sensed that Antinoüs was struggling with his coursework, he made time in his busy, distracting schedule to arrange time when he could tutor the boy in private. Over school holidays they traveled, staying in the same hotel room both to save money and to torment Hadrian with desire. Once they went to Corinth, Mississippi, to learn about U.S. history and the Civil War. Another time, they went the University of Georgia in Athens, whose motto is " _Et docere et rerum exquirere causas._ "

" _Et docere et rerum exquirere causas_ ," Antinoüs read off a t-shirt. "But what does that mean, Hadrian?"

"It's Latin," Hadrian said. "It means _Both to teach and to inquire into the nature of things._ "

Antinoüs gave Hadrian a wide smile in his tanned face, because it was summer vacation and in addition to serving coffee and taking educational trips, he also enjoyed athletics outside in the sun. Hadrian had personally introduced Antinoüs to the sport of beach volleyball, for example. Antinoüs was now tan all down his neck and up his arms, enveloped in a healthy bronze glow all over his skin.

"You know so much!" Antinoüs said playfully.

"Yes, I do," Hadrian agreed. "That is why I am a famous professor in my field."

"Someday I too will be famous," teased Antinoüs. Little did he know that this was foreshadowing, which is a literary device used to give hints as to things that are about to happen later on in the story.

What happened was this.

Hadrian and Antinoüs were walking along Main Street after Antinoüs finished a shift on Wednesday evening. This was after they came back from their trip, and had settled into habitual routines of habit. Hadrian tossed his head back to laugh in delight at something witty Antinoüs said. Antinoüs had a sly sense of humor. He was quite the card.

Laughing, and enjoying the company of Antinoüs and his pert pectorals straining against the confines of his red apron, Hadrian started across the street. He was not at a crosswalk. There was an SUV! In the dark evening twilight Hadrian's dark hair and dark mock turtleneck sweater were so dark the SUV driver did not see him.

Antinoüs gave a cry: "Hadrian!" Hadrian felt hands push at his back. He heard the squeal of brakes. He felt himself thrown to the ground. And then he felt no more.

He awoke in the bustle of the emergency room. His head hurt. Someone was bandaging his arm. The walls were pale green, and the lights were too bright. His heart ached with terror and fear.

He opened his eyes and stared at the nurse wildly. "Nurse!" he cried. "Antinoüs! Tell me that he -- that he -- " Hadrian's vision swam as tears flooded his dark eyes. He felt the ghostly imprint of Antinoüs's hands on his back. He felt cold at the thought that Antinoüs -- beautiful, precious, young, glowling healthily _Antinoüs_ \-- had sacrificed himself so that Hadrian might live.

"He is in surgery," the nurse said. He gave Hadrian a sympathetic look as tears spilled unbidden down Hadrian's untenured cheeks, to nest in his beard of sorrow and heartbreak.

Later, Hadrian sat by Antinoüs's bedside, clasping his hand. Antinoüs looked pale against the sheets, especially for one so tanned. Hadrian drank cup after cup of terrible hospital coffee. That was all he had now: bad coffee, and regrets.

Finally, after many days, Antinoüs opened his eyes. He looked at the green walls and the bright lights, and then he caught Hadrian's worried gaze.

"Hadrian!" Antinoüs whispered, and smiled fondly.

"Oh thank the gods!" Hadrian cried, while crying. "Antinoüs! I love you so much!"

"Hadrian! I love you too!"

Hadrian laughed through his tears. "Then let us go home, where I will nurse you back to health and then seduce you into my bed, for while that would be a misuse of my authority, I don't care anymore! I want your tanned thighs and muscular buttocks spread naked under me!"

"Yes!" Antinoüs declared, fire in his dark eyes. He tugged on their joined hands and pulled Hadrian down into a passionate kiss full of yearning and tongue.

Hadrian held Antinoüs's hand as he got out of bed, dressed, and checked out of the hospital, careful of his teenaged lover's injury.

They were together now, and always would be.


End file.
